Island



(No Model.)

J. O. RATHBUN. VELOGIPEDE.

No. 449,383. Patented Mm. si, 1891.

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a/Mja -fvcQ/ZW niTnD STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN O. RATHBUN, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

VELOCIPEDE.

'SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 449,383, dated March 31, 1891..

Application led July l, 1890. Serial No. 357,348. (No model.)

To if/ZZ whom, t may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN O. RATHBUN, of Providence, in the county of Providence and State ofRhode Island, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Veloci pedes; and I hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, ref erence being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

rThis invention has reference to an improvement in the class of velocipedes in which one of the wheels is used for steering; and it consists in the peculiar and novel construetion of a locking device by which the spindle of the steering-wheel can be quickly locked or unlocked, as will be more fully set forth hereinafter.

The object of this invention is to provide convenient means by which the spindle of the steering-wheel of a bicycle or other form ot velocipede can be locked against rotation when required. y NVhen abicycle or other velocipede is set up against any object, the steerin g-wheel is liable to slightly turn and allow the cycle to run away. In coasting it is also at times desirable to lock the steering-wheel.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the wrist in which the spindle of a bicycle turns, provided with niy improved locking device. Fig. 2 is a side view, partly in section, of the Wristtube, the spindle, and the locking device.

3 is a cross-section of the same.

In the drawings, the number 5 indicates the wrist-tube of a bicycle; 6, the spindle of the steering-wheel, usually provided with the fork in which the wheel-axle is journaled at the lower end and with the steering-handles at the upper end.

7 indicates a short tube extending from the plate or fiange 8, concaved to tit the surface of the wrist-tube 5 and secured thereto by the screw 9. rThe plate or tiange S'is perforated to allow the locking-pin 10 to pass through the wall ot' the wrist-tube 5, which is also perforated for the saine purpose, and a hole 11 is forined in the spindle 6, into which the end of the locking-pin enters when the spindle is required to be locked to the tube. The outer end of the locking-pin 10is provided with the thumb-piece 12, the edge of which is milled, so as to secure a iirin hold on the same. The locking-pin is provided with the ring 13, having the projecting pin 14. Two pins 14 ou opposite sides of the ring may be used. The cylindrical cup 15 is secured in the tube 7 by the screw 16, with the open end Atoward the wrist-tube 5. The lower or open end of the cup 15 is slotted, and a lateral recess is formed to receive the pin 14, as is shown in Fig. 2. The spiral spring 17 surrounds the lockingpin 10, the ends bearing, respectively, on theinner closed end of the cup 15 and the ring 13.

The device as shown in Fig 2 is in the unlocked position, and the spindle is free to turn in thewrist-tube 5. By slightly turning the locking-pin 10 by the thumb-piece l2 the pin 14 enters the slot in the cup 15. The spiral spring now holds the end of the locking-pin against the spindle 6, and as soon as the hole 11, by the turning' of the spindle, comes opposite the locking-pin 10 the saine will enter the spindle and lock the saine to the wrist tube 5, holding the steeringspindle an d wheel in the xed position, as is shown in liilig. 3. By withdrawing the locking-pin and partly turning the saine the locking-pin resumes the position shown in Fig. 2.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- The combination, with the tube 5 and the spindle 6, provided with the hole 11, of the flange 8, the tube 7, open at its outer end, the cup 15, the locking-pin 10, provided with the thumb-piece 12, and the ring 13, provided with the pin 14, the cup 15 being provided with a slot and recess for the pin 11 and se- `cured in the tube 7 by the screw 16, as described.

JOHN O. RATI-IBUN.

Witnesses:

J. A. MILLER, J r., M. F. BLTGH. 

